Moving Forward
by rheiaxedward
Summary: Zach and an OC... the OC has social anxiety disorder... read it! I know you want to! :   Romance to come...
1. Chapter 1: Introduction to my life

**A/N: Hey! Hope you like my first fanfiction! It's probably really bad... so reviews are appreciated! :) I just thought it would be interesting to pair Zack with an OC (original character - I hate it when people add abbreviations that first time readers don't understand) with Social Anxiety Disorder... nobody seems to write stories about that, but I know someone who has it and really struggles with it. This is for you!**

I enrolled in Seven Seas High School on the S.S. Tipton, no matter how cliché it might sound, to get a fresh start. To get away from the people who knew me, knew my embarrassing stories, away from the people whom I had made enemies with over the years and were set against me. So far, things had been… better. Not great, but better than they were. It was two quarters into the school year. I had gotten closer to my classmates, and school work was good. Last night, I had stayed up really late working on an assignment. I walked up to the juice bar and dropped my head down on the counter.

"Late night?" Zack Martin asked. I moved my head in what would be a nod.

"Ms. Tutweiller's the worst. I know what will perk you up," Zack said, turning to make me a smoothie. I raised my head as he finished blending the ingredients.

"You like blackberries, right?" I perked up immediately, and nodded adamantly. He smiled, and slid the smoothie toward me. I laughed and drank the smoothie eagerly. Zack was so nice. I finished the smoothie, and helped him clean up.

"Oh you don't need to do that," he told me.

"Hey, you gave me a free smoothie," I answered him.

"Oh. It wasn't free." I whacked him and handed him my school credit card. I sighed. My parents weren't going to be happy with my spending this semester. He handed the card back to me, and proceeded to swipe his own card instead.

"You can't do that!" I told him, already feeling guilty but touched.

'It's okay, it's Cody's card." I cracked up, and found Zack laughing along with me. It shocked me, and I found myself thinking of fight or flight.

"I've…. got to go," I stuttered, slowly backing away. I went to my dorm, where I was rooming with Madison, another new girl in my class.

"You look…. frazzled, I suppose," Madison remarked.

"No – No I don't!" I responded, my face turning red. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach and felt self-conscious. What was she thinking right now? I bet she was thinking I was extremely weird. Madison didn't know. Luckily, Madison was leaving the boat soon. Soon, I would have no trouble with hiding. I sat down at one of the two desks, and opened my laptop, about to start the assignment due next week so I wouldn't have another late-nighter. I checked the time at the corner of the screen and jumped out of my seat, grabbing my stuff.

"Sorry Madison, I gotta go!" I yelled, dashing out the door. As I was running down the corridor, I bumped into Zack.

"Oh hey, Anna, where are you going?"

"Sorry, can't talk now, I'm late!" I answered, about to continue down the hall.

"Late for what? It's only four thirty, and dinner starts at six," he questioned.

"Oh, yeah, I…Mr. Moseby wanted to talk to me," I lied hurriedly. "Well, got to go! Don't want to keep him waiting!" I rushed all the way to Mr. Blanket's room.

"Hey-huff-Mr.-huff-Blanket!" I told him.

"Well, that's the first time I've ever seen someone run into this room that didn't hide or immediately run out again. You're late, Anna," he responded.

"How's your rabbit sniffing problem?" I asked him.

"Better," he told me, lifting a rabbit with his left hand and sniffing it, before placing it back in its box. "So, have you encountered any trouble today?"

"Yeah, I almost had an incident at the juice bar… but it was better than before. I only felt ¾ of the panic!" I answered.

"It's tough having social anxiety disorder, Anna, but eventually you'll get better."

"I hope so; it's been a real pain." At that moment, Bailey Picket came to the door. I was pretty close with Bailey (she knew about my… issues) but sometimes, especially when she was being perfect or when she was being mushy with Cody, I found her really annoying. "Anna, red alert. Zack's talking to Mr. Moseby," Bailey said hurriedly.

"How do you know about that?" I asked her, already out the door and following her lead.

"You were talking to Zack right outside my dorm room, duh," she reminded me. Luckily, Zack and Mr. Moseby were not far from the counseling room.

"…I didn't have to speak to Anna, she was probably on her way to –"

"Hey, Mr. Moseby!" Bailey said cheerfully. A knot started to form in my stomach. I gulped and began to lie through my teeth, a cold sweat forming on my skin from the three sets of eyes on me now: two confused and questioning, one supportive. All expecting something from me. Two expecting answers, one expecting me to give a good show of covering up my issues. I could feel their eyes, burning into mine, the pressure building. I swallowed again, and ignored my fears. I stared Mr. Moseby in the eye, and said,

"Sorry I'm late, I ran into Bailey on the way here. What did you want to talk to me about?" Drat. My leg was beginning to shake. I tried very hard to try to keep it still, but luck wasn't in my favor. I considered fleeing, but figured I could stand the discomfort a little longer. Thank goodness, Mr. Moseby understood my stare.

"Oh, you meant that Anna?" Mr. Moseby asked, turning to Zack. "I thought you meant the other Anna, the employee on this boat. I don't know why you would know that employee's name, seeing as you can't even remember to turn in one assignment on time, but I've been knee deep in papers all day."

"Wouldn't be hard, considering the short distance from your knees to the ground," Zack responded. Mr. Moseby shot him a glare-and-growl, before turning back to me.

"Oh yes, I needed to discuss something with you, he said, taking my arm and leading me away. "What was that all about?" he questioned me.

"I came to this boat for a fresh start. I don't want people to know about my… issues unless it's absolutely necessary or I choose to tell them." I answered.

"I understand. But I really believe it would be fine if they knew the truth," Mr. Moseby told me in a caring tone. "You're a great girl, Anna, and I can assure you that people here won't be like your high school back home. You've got to remember, that high school was a special case. That's not how everyone acts."

"I know, I know… I just.." Tears began to well up in my eyes. "I have a hard time remembering that, and a hard time trusting people," I said, quickly wiping away my tears.

"I now that you're late for Mr. Blanket, but one last thing. You're allowed to cry, you know, Anna. You don't have to hide your tears anymore. You're not in your old high school." Mr. Moseby told me.

"I know, I'm sorry," and with that I dashed away.

Third Person POV

"What was that about?" Zack asked Bailey. "That felt... weird." He said, in a suspicious tone.

"I can't tell you," said Bailey. "But I'm sure you'll find out soon enough," and she added with a mutter "'Cause basically everybody else knows."

**A/N: So what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Be kind! Review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Madison's last day, Part 1

**A/N: All I can do is lower my head in shame and say I am soooooooo sorry it took me this long to update. I've been doing 5 foot long footnote papers, have had really important tests, and all that delicious stuff, (yuck. I am never using the word delicious again) but that is no excuse. And so anyway, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I realized I didn't write a disclaimer last chapter! ! Please don't sue me! Oh, and by the fact that someone can sue me and that I am writing one of these stupid things proves I do not own this. I don't know who exactly does, but it's not me. (But I do own my own character, Anna... but it's fine if people copy the social anxiety disorder aspect, just not the exact plot, I'm kinda proud of it...)**

I woke up the next morning feeling horrible. My head felt like it was made of stone, and it felt like a bouncy ball was bouncing around the inside of my skull. I sniffed, then as I climbed out of bed, coughs wracked my torso.

"I feel horrible…" I groaned, as I pulled a tissue to my nose. I looked over to Madison's bed, to see she was packing. The nerves tingled through my spine once more. _Oh No! She probably thinks I'm really annoying. Or stupid, or lame…_

"Anna? Are you alright? Sound like you've got a cold." Madison turned her head towards me, while continuing to pack. "I really should have packed more yesterday, it just seems so strange… leaving this place." Her voice trailed off, and again I felt stupid for not realizing what she was actually thinking about. I took my things and hurried into the bathroom, turning on the shower.

As I stood there, a tear streamed down my cheek. I was used to this, crying in the shower. I had no idea why I was even crying, I was just crying about… everything. I dried myself off and pulled on some black skinny jeans with rips and an old band t-shirt. This was my 'drab', weekend look, though my sister thought it made me look really awesome. (I secretly thought so to. I was a punk rock lover at heart). I gazed into the mirror. My sister. I hadn't thought of her in a while.

I snapped myself out of my trance. I ran a comb through my just past the shoulder long, black hair. I pulled out my straightener, then decided against it. Some days, I just couldn't be bothered trying to make myself look good. I forced myself to put on makeup, but I was still thinking '_What's the point?' _Without straightening it, my hair fell in what, on a prettier girl, could be considered 'gentle waves'. _No. Mr. Blanket told me I have to stop putting myself down. Good adjectives, good adjectives…_

I was nervous in a tingly, nice way, to see Zack again today. As long as I had been here on the boat (about 4 months) he had yet to see my hair wavy like this. I was the ugly kind of nervous thinking about how he would react. After a sweep through with my fingers of my straight side bangs (they hadn't curled as much), I opened the door.

"WOW! You look gorgeous!" Madison looked at me with a shocked, encouraging smile on her face. I blushed, and immediately felt like hiding.

"No, I don't look that good… anyway, you're gonna miss your goodbye party!" I answered, taking her hand and tugging her out of the room with a smile, grabbing my black zippy sweater on the way out. Even though I was glad I would soon have a dorm to myself and more protection with my secret, Madison and I were actually pretty ok friends. We talked sometimes, we were friendly with each other, did girl things together at least once a week, and although we had never really opened up the secret trove with one another, you could say, in a way, we were like besties. I would be sad to see her leave.

I ran out onto the Sky Deck, and immediately stopped when I saw the obstacle that stood in my way – SNOW. About a foot of snow, give or take seeing as it was windy on the boat, spanned the length. Mr. Moseby and another employee were shoveling at the far end, leaving the rest to be empty (it was still pretty early in the morning, except for Marcus, Bailey, Cody, and… Zack. He ran up to me, his green coat's hood up over his windswept blonde hair, his face red from the cold. I was glad I had my black sweater, 'cause it was _cold_.

"HEY ANNA! Look! Sno–" he stopped dead when he saw me. "Woah. You... look…." he seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Doubt flooded my veins, and I avoided his eyes, as I knew a very evident blush bloomed on my cheeks.

"Hey Anna, you look gorgeous!" Marcus said, walking to stand by Zack's side.

"Yeah, that," Zack muttered, and I noticed he was blushing too.

"Yeah, yeah, enough about me," I said hurriedly. "It's Madison's big day! What do you want to do first? Seeing as a barbecue is out of the question." I laughed, and I noticed Zack's eyes lit up when he laughed too. I struggle not to get lost in his baby blue eyes, and turned to Madison to distract myself.

"I told you and I told you," Cody said, in his know-it-all tone. As far as I knew, Cody had only two tones. The first, the ever annoying know-it-all tone. He used this the most commonly, especially when he was proving how smart he was about a topic or at an argument. The second, was the sweet, understanding tone. I had only heard him use this once, when he found out about my… issues. I wasn't the one who told him, if Bailey knows something, Cody does too, plus he understood the signs.

I saw Bailey look up at Cody with fake annoyance, but I knew she secretly was still in love with him. I got a sudden, impulse idea that was totally and completely unlike me and I knew I'd pay for it later with insecurity and doubt. While Zack and Cody started yelling at each other, I stopped down slowly, and formed a ball of snow in my hand, I then stood up and threw it at Zack's back. He turned to me, his eyes fiery, and everyone started to laugh as he yelled "I am so gonna get you!" with a laugh in his eyes. I ran for my life, (which was extremely difficult as I was laughing so hard), and Zack quickly caught up to me.

Everyone was throwing snowballs now and running around (to the extreme distaste of Mr. Moseby, who was trying to stop Madison from dropping a snowball down Marcus' shirt. As Zack caught up to me, he wrapped his arms around my waist, whispering "gotcha" in my ear before lifting me up off the ground.

I screamed and laughed, saying "let me down, let me down", and Mr. Moseby sauntered over with a look of killing in his eyes.

"Ok, Zack, you've had your fun, now put Ms. Lanton down, and you've both earned a one way ticket to Detention," Mr. Moseby ordered. With snow in our hair and smiles still on our faces, we took the detention slips with pride. I could feel the insecurities starting to rise to the surface as I realized all the events that had just felt so… normal. But unnatural. I felt tears beading up at the corners of my eyes as my brain told me '_Why can't it be natural? Why did your life have to be this way?'_

I turned and walked quickly to the bathroom, and once the door closed, finding the bathroom to be empty, I let my tears fall freely. I had forgotten about my cold in all the fun, seeing as the cold was only light, but sitting here, on the floor, with tears running down my face, coughs rattled my frame once more.

**A/N: Sad ending, right? Don't worry, more to come... ;) (Btw A/N stands for Author's note) Please review! It would really help me if you would tell me what you thought! I had to add the cold part at the end because I sorta forgot that I put it in the beginning. I was inspired by the fact that I have a HORRIBLE COLD right now. But I'm still updating, I feel like I owe you guys... oh, btw, CraziiCookii thankyou for being my first reviewer! Plus, you made me feel really guilty, so here goes nothing - it's not my friend, it's me. I have very slight social anxiety disorder, but it's getting worse... but sometimes better. 3**


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